Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman will star in the 30th season of the reality dating show The Bachelor, which returns to the air on March 21.
The network confirmed the casting on Friday, moving the franchise back to its history of featuring professional football players.
Hartman, 27, currently serves on the Commanders’ practice squad and has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game. The North Carolina native played college football at Wake Forest and Notre Dame before entering the professional ranks. His selection follows a period of transition for the series, which has not aired a new installment since Bachelor in Paradise concluded in the summer of 2025, according to reporting by Noovo Info.
The quarterback admitted he was initially hesitant about the prospect of dating 30 women on camera. “I’ve already got a hard time holding a conversation with one girl. Having 30, that’s going to be damn near impossible,” he told the hosts of Good Morning America on Friday, shortly after the Commanders’ victory over the New York Giants.
Hartman said that his decision to join the cast was influenced by a conversation with Jesse Palmer, the show’s host. Palmer himself is a former NFL quarterback who played for the New York Giants and served as the lead for the fifth season of The Bachelor.
The franchise has frequently turned to the NFL for its leads. Former players Colton Underwood and Clayton Echard both appeared on The Bachelorette before headlining their own seasons of The Bachelor, with both men having spent time on NFL practice squads or in training camps. Additionally, Gerry Turner’s successor on The Golden Bachelor, Mel Owens, was a former linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams.
Regarding his search for a partner, Hartman stated on Good Morning America that he is looking for someone with motivation that makes him want to get up every day to follow her.
The network’s decision to cast Hartman marks a return to a more traditional lead following an attempt to pivot to outside reality stars. Last year, the production selected Taylor Frankie Paul of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for The Bachelorette, but that season was canceled in March following allegations of domestic violence.
The 30th season of The Bachelor is scheduled to premiere on March 21.
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